Once full knowledge is attained of where each stamp in the 14 blocks used here belongs in the plate, the positions used to plate the blocks can be studied in more detail. As a tool for philatelists interested in learning how to plate a stamp, I include here the step by step discussion of how I plated 168 of the 170 positions of the Cuba 1864 1 Real. The first step was to plate three blocks with top sheet edges. Blocks 3 (top block in column below), 8 (middle block in column below), and 10 (bottom block in column below) enabled me to plate the top three rows of the plate, and to know with complete certainty some key positions that I then found on other blocks from the top half of the sheet.

The second step was to plate three blocks without top sheet edges that contain positions already known to belong to the top three or four rows of the plate. Blocks 4 (top block in column below), 7 (middle block in column below), and 9 (bottom block in column below) enabled me to plate the top five rows of the plate. Position V-1 is the link for the next group of blocks. Even though the two blocks of 40 (blocks 4 and 7) from the top half of the plate have wide borders, it helps to know from the previous three blocks containing large top edges that blocks 4, 7, and 9 are definitely from the top half of the plate.

These next six blocks are either redundant, or include positions fanning out across the lower left quarter of the plate. Block 2 (top block in column below) has the position V-1, and is also clearly from the left edge of the plate. This block contains position VII-4, which is distinctive and also in Block 11 (middle block in column below). Blocks 5 (bottom block in column below) and 6 (top block in column below and to the right) are redundant to the plating process.

Block 1 is a key multiple (middle block in column below). It contains several positions not found in any of the other blocks at my disposal. Block 14 (bottom block in column below) has position IX-4, which is found in block 2.

Block 12 (top block in column shown to the right) is clearly from the bottom right of the sheet. There are three positions in this block, highlighted in green below, that coincide with block 13 (bottom block in column shown to the right), which has two positions (IX-9, and X-9) not found in any of the other blocks used here.

Recommendations for further browsing (including the present one):

7: Plating the Cuba 1864 1 Real : I am able to plate 168 of the 170 positions. This article also includes images of the Cuba 1864 Issue, a web page dedicated to the path I followed to plate this stamp, the two RL positions, several distinctive positions,and plate positions with reduced periods in the lower legend.

77: Cuba 1864 Issue : I show the major values in mint blocks of four. Missing is the rare 1/2 real on salmon paper, for which I havo only a few used specimens. I include a second block of the 1 real, printed in bright blue. Here I show the major values in blocks of four, the color varieties of the 1/2 real on salmon, 1/2 real on white, 1 real, and 2 reales. The 1/4 real was printed in a small run and seems to have just one color: black. I also show specimens cancelled with the regular canceller and other cancellers. This issue was replaced in 1866 by a similar issue in a different currency.

In addition, I have several articles dedicated to the Cuba 1855-1863 first issue.